Childsplay

Fresh out of both their moms' wombs and Vancouver, one must give credit to a group of young dudes making traditional punk music in its most basic form. It's been too long since a band have blasted through with the energy and raw sound of the likes of early D.O.A. and the Casualties. Righteous Rampage, Childsplay's sophomore release, speeds through eight tracks with no significant breaks or solos. Fortunately, it's a reminder that these guys are still finding their footing amidst changing genre conventions. Also, it appears as if the quartet are simply focused on putting out solid, foundational (albeit a bit formulaic) three-chord structured punk with no frills. Vocalist Jaden Faber spits out lyrics with biting ferocity, covering themes of anti-capitalism and anti-society in the same straight-to-the-point manner as the music. He is backed by a tight configuration of drums, bass and guitar, played by members musically wiser than their young ages. A hurried rendition of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" concludes Righteous Rampage, opening with the original riff and quickly twisting into a gnarled punk version. However, it demonstrates the musical talent that each member possesses and shows that more can come out of them in the near future.